Rose’s 39 points sparks Bulls’ comeback, leads S&Ds

It was reminiscent of so many other performances at the United Center over the years.

But instead of Michael Jordan taking over games down the stretch, this time it was the Chicago Bulls’ newest Most Valuable Player candidate.

Derrick Rose scored 39 points including 19-for-21 from the foul line to lead the Bulls’ 104-99 victory over Indiana in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Trailing by 10 points entering the fourth quarter, Rose directed a wild comeback as the league’s best team during the regular season avoided an upset.

Rose was the key player in a 16-1 Chicago run to close the game. After scoring seven straight points to pull the Bulls into a late tie, Rose found Kyle Korver for a 3-pointer that gave the Bulls the lead for good.

Even when the Pacers had the lead in the fourth quarter, Indiana forward Danny Granger never felt safe with Rose on the other team.

“With Derrick Rose on the other team? No,” Granger told the Associated Press. “With Derrick Rose on the other team, no. It’s like a crazy stalker ex-girlfriend. Everytime you tell her you don’t want to talk to her, she’ll show up at your door again.”

Rose vowed to the AP that he will be ready for Game 2 after his team’s sputtering start for most of the game.

“We knew it was going to be a hard game,” Rose said. “From the beginning I guess we weren’t prepared for it. Next time I think we’ll be ready.”

Here’s a look at Studs and Duds from the first day of the playoffs.

STUDS

Chicago G Derrick Rose: Tallied 39 points, six rebounds, six assists, blocked three shots and was plus-3 in the Bulls’ 104-99 Game 1 victory over Indiana.

Atlanta G Joe Johnson: Delivered 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and was plus-13 in the Hawks’ 103-93 Game 1 triumph at Orlando.

Dallas G Jason Kidd: Blistered Portland for 24 points, including 6-for-10 from 3-point range in the Mavericks’ victory over the Trail Blazers. Kidd also added five rebounds, four assists, two steals and was plus-12 in the triumph.

Atlanta G Jamal Crawford: Scored 23 points and dealt out five assists in the Hawks’ victory at Orlando.

Miami L LeBron James: Produced 21 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, three blocked shots and was plus-4 in the Heat’s victory over the 76ers.

Chicago F Luol Deng: Scored 18 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and was plus-10 in the Bulls’ victory over the Pacers.

Miami G Dwyane Wade: Notched 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists and was a team-best plus-16 in the Heat’s victory over the 76ers.

Orlando C Dwight Howard: Scored a career playoff-high 46 points on 16-for-23 shooting and grabbed 19 rebounds in the Magic’s loss to Atlanta.

Orlando G Jameer Nelson: Tallied 27 points and six rebounds in the Magic’s loss to the Hawks.